Automatic flying-switch mechanism



I T. J. JONES. AUTO'MATIC FLYING SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I5, 1919.

1 54,403, Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J; JONES,- OF HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC FLYING-SWITCH MECHANISM;

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. J ONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Herr-in, in the county of WVilliamson and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Flying- Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic flying switch mechanism, particularly intended for use in connection with mine cars, wherein the locomotive must be side tracked and uncoupled from mine cars, necessitating a quick operation of the switch, as the mine cars pursue a direct course into the mine. At present, it is customary for the switchman to lie face downward upon the locomotive until the switch is reached, at which time he must remove himself from the locomotive while the latter is traveling at a fast speed in order to operate the switch, to allow the locomotive to enter a sioing and automatically uncouple the mine cars, and at the same time to permit the mine cars to pursue a straightcourse into the mines. This duty requires the services of a very young and active person who cannot afford to lose any time or make mistakes in operating the switch without placing himself in perilous position, as well as causing a wreck.

It is therefore the prime purpose of the present invention, to provide a switch operating mechanism, which will dispense with the services of a man of the above mentioned capacity, and which mechanism is positive in its operation to close the switch for the locomotive, so that the latter may enter the siding, and to subsequently open the switch at a predetermined interval to allow the mine cars to pursue its course over the main tracks into the mine;

To this end, the invention preferably makes use of a slide rail carried by the loco motive, the rail being so designed as to cooperate with the track member of the switch to close the latter to allow the locomotive to enter the siding upon initial engagement of the rail with the track member, the rail being designed to allow the switch to be automatically opened, just prior to the separation of the rail from the track member, at which time, the locomotive is uncoupled from the mine cars, thus allowing the latter to pursue a straight course over the main track into the mine.

In carrying out the invention, I mount Specification of Letters Patent. Patented S t 28 1920 Application filed. December 15, 1919.

erial No. 345,079.

the slide rail upon the locomotive for pivotal movement, so that the rail can be arranged vertically in an active position when I10t 111 use, the rail being disposed in convenient reach of the engineer, so that the railscan be readily and quickly .released to gravitate to an active position when its use is desired.

, Another important object of the invention, resides in the provision of means for cushioning the movements of the track mem ber of the switch, which means absorbs the shocks and jars incident to the impact between the member and the slide rail.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detail description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed. 7 l

In the drawing forming part of this specii ication, like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure 1 shows the locomotive in side elevation and the active and inactive positions of the slide rail. 7

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the active position of the slide rail and the normal position of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View showing the normal position of the switch elements.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 and 11 respectively indicate the rails of the main track, while the movable switch ele ments are indicated at 12. The locomotive conventionally shown is indicated at A and the control lever being indicated at 13, and the engineers seat at 14:. The movable switch elements 12 are operatively connected together by means of the bridle 15 which extends beneath the rails of the main track, the opposite ends of the bridle 15 being bent at right angles to the body portion thereof as shown. A bracket 16 is secured to the adjacent tie, and a spring 17 is interposed between the bracket and the adjacent extremity of the bridle 15.' The spring 17 connects these parts and functions to nor; mally maintain the switch open as shown in Fig. 2. Slidable through an opening in the opposite extremity of the bridle is an arm 17 which is pivotally connected as at 18 t0 the switch operating member 19 of the switch, the member 19 being pivoted upon the tie as at 20. The arm 17 is formed with a head 21, and encircling the arm is a spring 22, which has one end bearing against the head 21, and its opposite end bearing against a the adjacent extremity of the bridle 15. The, spring 22 serves to cushion the movements of the'switch operating member 19in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

Secured to one side of the locomotive A,

are spaced brackets 28, upon which is pivotally mounted the-slide rail 24. This rail .is preferably of a length approximately equal to thelength of the locomotive, and ispivoted'upon the bracket 23, in order that it may bevertically disposed in active position as .indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 or allowed to assume its horizontalactive I position as indicated by full lines in both igs. 1v and 2. A hand lever 25 is carried tively. The length of the tapered portions is a matter of importance, as theycontrol the opening and closing of the switch at predetermined intervals.

In practice, when the locomotive'A approachesv the switch assuming the slide rail 24 is in its vertical or inactive position, the engineer grasps the lever 25 and moves the rail2 lto its active or horizontal position.

WVhen the tapered portion 2S'moves into engagement with the switch operating memher-19 of the switch, it moves the latter in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, to a position whereby the switch is open. The-switch remains open as'long as the element 19 is incontact with the straight slide of the rail 24, during which time the locomotive is directed onto the siding shown in Fig. 2. As is customary the mine cars are uncoupled from i the locomotive automatic'allyas the latter is swung-onto the siding.

Therail 24 is of such length as to permit thelocomotive A to be completely moved onto the siding, subsequent to which the tapered portion 29 is brought into contact with theswitch operating member 19 of the switch. It is if course understood that when the rail 24 is moved out of engagement from the track member 19, the springs 17 automatically closes the switch, to allow the. mine cars which. have been uncoupled from the locomotive, to pursue their course over themain track into'the mine, however the tapered portion 29 projects an appreciabledistance beyond the rear wheels of the locomotiveA, and consequently allows the movable elements of the switch. including the member 19 to gradually return to their normal position under the influence of the spring .17. The impact however between the switch operating member 19 and the rail 24: is very sudden as the locomotive travels at a considerably fast speed, and the spring 22 serves as a cushion for the movements of these parts, absorbing the shocks and jars incidentto the impact between these parts.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to the details herein shown and described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

,I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim asnew is:. V

A switch including pivoted track members, a bridle connecting said members and having its extremities offset in opposite directions, a stationary bracket, a spring connecting the bracket to the adjacent offset extremity of the bridle, a switch operating member, an arm pivotally connected with the track member and slidable through an opening in the adjacent offset extremity of the bridle, said arm having an enlarged end portion, aspring encircling said arm and arranged between the enlarged end portion and theadjacentextremity of the bridle, in combination with car carrying means adapted to engage the switch operating member as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' THOMAS J. JONES. 

